Aronsohn: victim of castration at Auschwitz, subject of Johann's flashback
Brandt, Karl: Adolf Hitler's personal physician, highest ranking Nazi medical administration to survive,fearless, uncompromising in his service to the Volk,worthy of respect.Brandt
Brenner, Helga:Johann's wife,wants to know about the doctors,wants Johann to come home but he says he can't,wants to wait for her husband but has been waiting for so long,works at the hospital,lives in their old apartment,provides medical information in exchange for food and gifts, thought she was a widow until she saw Johann, the courthouse janitor.
Brenner,Johann: German soldier during WWI, doctor during WWII at Auschwitz,now known as Heinrich Westermann with false papers, janitor working the night shift at The Palace of Justice, afraid of being recognized at the trials,has a wife Helga and can't tell her what happened, not ready to go home yet,has a limp from WWI,scar on his hand from WWII that can be hidden,best friend is Jewish and named Philipp, sleeps at Palace of Justice.
Erika: Helga's sister who lives in Karlsruhe
Goering, Hermann: Johann first saw him up close when Hitler was giving a speech in Nuremberg, Johann remembers the night fondly, has a defiant glare, but looked shabby in the prisoner's dock.Hermann Goering
Brenner, Paul-Adolf:Johann and Helga's son son, wore his Hitler youth uniform to school one day and forgot his books because he was so excited.
Schumann, Horst: in charge of sterilization and castration experiments at Auschwitz, previously worked at an asylum in Grafeneck,quoted on page 10 and 11; justifying experiments.Schumann
Old Man: stacks bricks, Johann recognizes him but cannot identify him by name.
Witness: pudgy,balding,"looked at least 60, but was probably not yet thirty"(7), speaks German with a Polish accent,no hesitation or stumbling, talks about tests done by doctors at concentration camps, victim of experimental operations.
Chapter 2
Bosch: A patriot and Lutheran Pastor, significant person in Johann's life who dies during the war.
Brenner,Ottilie: Johann's mother, loving and maternal
Gerstner, Christian: Close friend of Johann's, lost in war
Ludendorff: A master general
Schmidt: Johann's inspiration
Stein, Philipp: A Jewish doctor, childhood friend of Johann
Chapter 3
Eisner, Kurt :a radical Bavarian journalist and socialist politician Eisner
Grotjahn, Alfred: founder of the discipline of Social Hygiene, lecturer at the Charite from 1912-1915, then became the director of Social Hygiene division of Berlin's Municipal Office of Medicine. Grotjahn
Grunberg, Frau: land lady where Philipp stayed, motherly
Kellner, Fritz: Philipp's school rival, killed in WWI
Kolle: listed briefly
Lenz, Fritz A. :extremist doctor/professor,anti-semistist Lenz
Luxemburg: listed briefly
Max:Philipp's uncle, killed in WWI
Old Rathenau: listed briefly
Rockefeller: listed briefly
Stein, Philipp: best friend of Johann, Jewish, doctor, hard working, veteran of WWI, very smart and driven,volunteered at hospitals during WWI and decided to practice medicine,went to University of Berlin, pacifist, kind and reserved, caring,mentally strong, reasonable, controlled, wants the greater good for all.
Trotsky, Leon : communist of Jewish descent in the revolutionary regimes from the Soviet Union Trotsky
Brenner, Helga: Portrayed in this chapter as a tough, "German woman." Able to deal with her horrid circumstances after the war.(67)
Brenner, Fredrich: Johann's father. A smart man who did not handle the war well. Has some common sentiments with Nazis.(74)
Brenner,Ottilie :Johann's mother. Happy, yet realistic in difficult times.(70)
Professor Schonauer- Professor from college, Feels Jews have too much influence in Germany.(78)
Chapter 5
Binding, Karl - prominent retired professor of law.
Gerhard- planned to be a doctor, Frau doctor seligmann's twin brother, died in the war.
Heinrich- Seligmann's older brother, started University of law when the war began, died in the war.
Hirschsprung, Harald: Danish pediatrician, first described symptoms of blockage of the large intestines in infants, had his own name in the disease "Hirschsprung disease", doctor before a professor.
Hoche, Alfred : Phillip's residency professor of psychiatry at Albert-Ludwigs University in Freilburg-im-Breisgau.
Kreisler- man blinded by gas, wasting away his life.
Lenkel, Herr- land lord at the Neue Pension zum Schwarzwald near the University and hospital, had rules to the apartment.
Schetzeler- portly man, stringy hair that hung over his forehead.
Seligmann, Louise- family is Jewish, from Hamburg, studied there then in Cologne and Heidelberg, has an older brother and twin brother who were killed last year in war, in the navy, father died of heart attack, mother died in influenza, a doctor, looked up to family.
Chapter 6
Bock (pg 115)-physician; has a glass eye from the war
Brenner, Johann (pg. 111)- doctor in Germany; lives in his parent's house with his wife and children
Brenner, Helga (pg 113):Johann's wife; has two children; house wife
Brenner,Ottilie: (pg 114):Johann's mother; took in Johann and Helga; willing to take care of baby Paul-Adolf
Sprenger (115): director of the policlinic where Johann Brenner works
Schwester Mannesmann (pg 115): nurse; newest staff member
Sprenger (115): director of the policlinic where Johann Brenner works
Steublein (pg 115):the resident physician
Chapter 7
Grimmel, Frau- Mother who believes there's something wrong with her son Georg. Wants to send him to mental institute or anywhere to get him off her hands
Grimmel,Georg- child who's at doctors, (dark skin, dark hair, green eyes) no friends, loud and sings but tiny.
Naumann, Christine- 18-19 years old light brown hair, blue eyes, curly hair, modern woman me Philipp on school trip. She's honest and open. From Oashabruck now lives in Augsburg.
Chapter 8
Blum- pg 150- physician Philipp now works with in Augsburg
Conzelmann- p. 150- the two physicians Phillip now works with in Augsburg.
Meier- p.148- the old man Johannn watched moving bricks, also Christine's uncle.
Naumann,Christine- p.149- Phillip's new fiance who he met in Freiburg and later moved to Augsburg for.
Scharff, Herr Reinard M.D.- p.150- a doctor in Augsburg who has filed a complaint against Phillip. He is a cruel, strict doctor who no longer practices medicine well. He is also a member of the Nazi Party.
Chapter 9
Stein, Philipp- 182- "Then Philipp took his antics to another level. Seeing the kiosk behind them... he monkey-walked backwards, stopping directly in front of a waist-high campaign poster for Hitler. Philipp bend over, his butt a few inches away from the Fuhrer's nose, and did his money-dance, arms swinging, hooting and laughing." This passage demonstrates Philipp's deep disrespect and loathing of Hitler as well as his sense of humor.
Short, Balding Man- 182- Store owner who scolds Philipp for his act of defiance against the Fuhrer. "'There ought to be a place for you and your ilk! A prison. Worse. You defile this country! You are a crazy man! Asshole!'"
Gerschenkron, Benjamin - 184- senior physician in Philipp's policlinic, a Jew who decides he and his wife must leave the Vaterland because their lives are in danger.
Gerschenkron, Martha - 185- Benjamin's wife, converted to Judaism shortly before she married which causes Philipp to question Christine's loyalty because he did not convert.
Chapter 10
Brenner, Greta- not quite three years old, has Polio.
Brenner, Johann- began to dread, think, blame when he would enter the courtrooms. He would describe it all as a, “stretch”.
Brenner, Paul-Adolf- now five years old
Klemmer, Frau - friend of Helga. Devoted wife of lawyer (Richard). They both have devoted but professionally absorbed, ambitious husbands children who had become the center of attention, household budget that denied them, and a vague feeling of distress about being in Nuremburg.
Goebbels, Josef - Nazi party’s chief organizer in Berlin Goebbels
Grotjah- founder of social hygiene school, suspected Nazi, didn’t accept Johann’s article because it didn’t pertain to race
Meininger, Herr - son-in-law of the owner of the curtain company that Helga works at
Semmelburg, Ellen - daughter of Rivka and Herr Semmelburg, nurse
Semmelberg, Herr- “shopkeeper from Pohlendorf near Munich” (pg 210), Johann bought candy from him, he cares greatly for his family
Semmelburg, Rivka - Herr Semmelburg’s wife, overweight, very sick, suspected liver disease, Johann decides to help Herr Semmelburg put her out of misery
Chapter 12
Graeber, Reinhard - a doctor in Nuremberg, a Nazi. (Pg. 236)
Van der Lubbe- the Dutch person responsible for burning the Reichstag. Pg. 242
The Tinies- Greta’s imaginary friends, there is one that represents each member of her family. Pg. 239
“Jew boy”- a symbol for all Jewish children, for doctor Graeber(pg. 250)
Chapter 13
Wagner, Doctor Gerhad: Nazi Doctor
Abel, Wolfgang: High ranking Nazi Doctor
Zimmer: Aryian Doctor, Phillipp’s patients are being sent to him
Fraupichellim: Patient
Graeber: Super raceist; destigunished Nazi doctor
Bruggers: Family friends of the Stiens
Chapter 14
Seiver,Wolfram: A Nazi doctor who displayed skeletons in Dachau.
Herr Sreicher,Gacleita- Newspaper editor.
Bürgermeister Liebel- Politiian, Mayor.
Der Stürmer- Cheif Nazi administrator for the city and district.
Heinzel- Paul-Adolf’s friend.
Frau Roen and Sophie- House was broke into and Sophie was badly beaten.
Herr Plommers- Latin teacher.
Sadie- Injured Jewish girl that Philipp helps
Birnberger: Jewish child who had to leave school
Saperstein- Jewish children who had to leave school
Chapter 15
Brandt, Karl- one if the Reich's "most important medical administrators" Hitler's personal Physician, confident, cocky, intelligent; "not one hair out of place."(307), slicked back,high forehead, tall,erect,athletic looking, mid thirties.
Shumann,Horst- Doctor,Director of Grafeneck (asylum in Wurtlemberg) Shumann
Bouhler, Philipp- chief of Hitler's chancellery, has a limp from the first war, highly intelligent, straightforward and sensible
Hefelmann,Hans - speaker at Nazi " welfare" committee meeting; members dosed off as he spoke
Chapter 16
Carl Clauberg-(320) Germany’s leading gynecologists
Schetzeler-(320) not married, accomplished gynecologists
Daniel Aronsohn- (320) was one of the first patients Johann did the procedure on, died instantly afterwards
Josef Mengele-(320) most important doctor in camp
Eduard Wirths- (328) camp’s chief medical officer
Chapter 17
Christine Stein: Philipp's wife killed in a bombing in Berlin
Paul Adolf:killed in Russia fighting in deaths head unit of the S.S
Frau Ziegler: Neighbor of Phillip and Christine who warns the Gestapo who took Philip.
Goebbles: Nazi leaders in Berlin ordered rounding up of jewish men with Aryan wives. Goebbels
Hermann Goering: Head of the Luftwaffe declared he would change name to “Meier” if any enemy war plane succeeded in harming Germany Goering
Chapter 18
Doktor Lustig- Works with Phillip at the polyclinic, wants him to stay a Jew and hide
Richard Semmelberg- From Pohlendorf husband of Rivika now lives in and hides out with daughter Ellen until her husband dies
Ellen Richter- Nurse her husband was a Geman salesman but killed in war.
David Stein- Philipp's Father
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Meier- he remembers meeting Johann at Phillip and Chirstines wedding; seems kinder then before
Schetzeler- drinks to cover his shame/ problems with what is going on around him.
Hunched back nurse- fairly detached and oblivious (pg.400)
Short doctor- detached, unemotional towards his patients (pg. 402)
Judge- extremely loyal to Hitler (pg.407)
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Heinrich Westermann (439) unmarried, Protestant, business man; died of a heart attack and had a head wound as well. Johann found him and stole his papers.
Old Schmidterl (441) Johann and Philipp's old school teacher from grade school
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22